Subscribe to this blog

Subscribe

FAQs about Intuitive and Mindful Eating *Updated with New FAQs*

Intuitive eating and mindful eating are often presented
together in the media but they are not
the same thing.

What is intuitive
eating?

Intuitive eating is being aware of hunger and satiety. Intuitive
eaters eat when they are hungry and do not eat when they aren’t hungry.

What is mindful
eating?

Mindful eating is being
aware of taste, smell, and textures of food. Mindful eaters may eat when
they are not hungry. As they eat, they focus on enjoying the food.

What are examples of
intuitive eating and mindful eating?

Here are two examples to further demonstrate these
differences….

1. An intuitive eater won’t eat birthday cake at a
party if he isn’t hungry, but a mindful eater might eat it as long as he
focuses on the experience of eating the food.

2. An intuitive eater recognizes she is hungry
while watching T.V., gets some food, and continues watching T.V. as she eats. A
mindful eater will not eat while watching T.V. because the T.V. is a
distraction that prevents her from focusing on the food.

How do I eat
intuitively?

You can start to eat intuitively by recognizing your hunger
and satiety cues. Pay attention to how you feel before and after eating. If you
haven’t eaten, you may feel grumpy, distracted, tired, or lightheaded. You may
also hear your stomach rumble or you may feel emptiness in your abdomen.

Hunger cues vary from person to person. Once you identify
your hunger cues, try to satisfy them by eating when you notice them.

How do I eat
mindfully?

You can start to eat mindfully by removing distractions
during mealtimes. Turn off the T.V. Put away your cell phone. If you’re with
other people, it’s okay to talk—social interaction is important for our
health, too—but try not to play poker or engage in other distractions.

Next, recognize what makes food appealing to you. Look at
your food. Does it look appealing to you? If so, why? Colorful food often is
more appealing. Or, you may prefer a toasted or even charred piece of food.
Smell your food. Do you like foods that smell fruity, for example?

Feel your food, either with your hands or in your mouth. Do
you prefer crunchy or creamy foods, for

example? (There’s nothing wrong with
touching your food! Many cultures accept eating with your hands and consider it
a way to be more intimate with food. There are also studies this may help picky
eaters, people with dementia, or others with a low food intake.)

Finally, taste your food, of course! Don’t shovel food into
your mouth and quickly swallow. Place a bite in your mouth. Put your fork or
spoon down. Let the food sit in your mouth a moment. Notice how it tastes.
Start to chew or move food around your mouth. Do you notice anything different?
Sometimes foods may taste different as we start to break it down. For example,
food might taste sweeter as complex carbohydrates get broken down into simpler sugars.

When you’re ready, swallow. There’s no right or wrong number
of chews or no correct amount of time to wait until you swallow. Just do what
makes you enjoy the experience.

What are some
barriers to eating intuitively and mindfully?

Our busy schedules can interfere with our ability to
intuitively and mindfully eat. Our companies may tell us what time we can eat,
preventing us from listening to our hunger cues. Or, we may eat while we work,
preventing us from focusing on the experience of eating.

Emotional eating may also interfere with our ability to
focus on our hunger or focus on our food. It may be helpful to keep a food log,
noting how you feel when you eat. Do you notice if you eat larger portions or
different foods when you feel a certain way? Again, everyone is different. Some
people eat more when they are sad or stressed, but others eat more when they
are happy.

*Update: Can intuitive and mindful eating fit into a schedule?
Yes! Many of us eat on a schedule due to when our workplaces and schools tell us to eat. That's fine; you can still eat mindfully by paying attention to your meal during your assigned break.

If you don't have an assigned break time, that's great. Eat intuitively by taking a break and eating when you are hungry

*Update: Am I allowed to eat at my desk?
If you are trying to eat mindfully, do not eat while you work. If you are trying to eat intuitively, you can eat at your desk and eat while you work as long as you listen to your hunger and satiety cues. However, eating while you work may distract you from listening to your hunger and satiety cues. It may be helpful to set a timer or other reminder to stop and check in with your body.

Post any additional questions on intuitive eating and mindful eating in the comments section below.

*This is adapted from a presentation I created for and
presented at Mirmont Treatment Center.

I love how you presented this information -- many real life questions answered so informatively! I'm a huge advocate for mindful and intuitive eating and it's great to see RDs who sharing this info too. Thank you!

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On blogs and social media, you run into a lot of different acronyms. I get a lot of questions about the letters after people's names, such as RDN, CNS, CNSC, and CDE.
You might be wondering, "What do these mean? Which professional is the right one for me? Can I trust them?"
I'll help you sort through these questions...
But first, you want to know the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian, visit my previous post on that topic.What do these acronyms mean?

There are a lot of people today trying to sell their
services as “nutrition professionals” but what do all the different terms mean?

Nutritionist
The term is not regulated. Many people, including myself,
call themselves a nutritionist because they have a Bachelor’s or Master’s
degree in Nutrition. But, I've also asked nutritionists and been told they took only 1 nutrition class. Feel free to ask a nutritionist about her education and decide for yourself if she has enough education. Nutrition Coach
The term is not regulated. Many people using it have only
taken a few nutrition classes. They may have a certificate from an online program, such as Precision Nutrition or Integrative Nutrition. This person often does not have a degree in
nutrition. Nutrition Consultant
This term is not regulated. Anyone may call himself/herself this.

This blog usually focuses on food. But there’s so much more
to health and wellness than that.
As a Registered Dietitian, I recognize that and often play
the role of “wellness coach,” helping people find the resources they need.

I also am often part of an interdisciplinary team a.k.a. a health care team. Health care professionals don't work alone. We work together and know when to refer clients (patients) to other professionals.

So, even though I can't treat your mental health directly, I can direct you those who can...